You've got to be certifiably crazy to mess with Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt, who lives in the nightmares of NFL quarterbacks. Go ahead, tell Watt he is anything less than the best defensive player in the league. I'm not man enough.

But Broncos linebacker Von Miller is man enough. And crazy enough.

When Watt ambled into Dove Valley headquarters Tuesday like he owned the joint during a week of joint practices between the Texans and Broncos, I asked Miller:

Who's the best player from the star-studded 2011 NFL draft? Is it Watt, named first-team all-pro two years in a row? Or is it the Vonster, whose 35 career sacks were tarnished by a controversy- and injury-plagued 2013?

"If I had to take my pick, it would be me," said Miller, chosen No. 2 in the first round.

Really? Miller thinks he's better than Watt?

"I spend a lot of time with myself, and I am most familiar with myself," said Miller, laughing. "If I had to make a pick, it would be me."

"We have a lot of talent in that class from (No. 1 overall choice) Cam Newton all the way to the later picks in the first round like (New York Jets defensive end) Muhammad Wilkerson, who's just been killing it. We have a lot of great guys in that class," Miller said.

Fair or not, Miller has become the NFL poster child for Colorado's haze of marijuana bliss. When I asked new Broncos defender DeMarcus Ware what had surprised him about Miller, the much-decorated veteran of nine seasons with the Dallas Cowboys went straight to the heart of the matter: From outside Denver, some might wonder if the Vonster takes football seriously.

"For all the chatter that they talk about Von not being the guy they want him to be, when I first got here, (Miller) was one of the first guys in the treatment room, working out real hard, over and beyond," said Ware, who signed as a free agent with the Broncos in March after seven Pro Bowl seasons in Dallas. "You can see how he's rehabilitated himself to be an ever better player than he was. That comes with mental toughness. He's doing really well. I was surprised how athletic he was. He's very fast and agile. I thought I was quick, but he's actually quicker than I am."

A cavalcade of young stars entered the league in 2011 under a collective bargaining agreement that forced players to earn big money for their blood, sweat and stats on the field rather than by merely signing a rookie deal.

San Francisco recently showed its faith that Kaepernick is headed toward elite status with a six-year, $126 million deal. Peterson got paid (five years, $70 million), as did Andy Dalton and Smith. The Texans are messing around with Watt on a contract extension. It seems stingy and maybe stupid.

"With the new (CBA), I think one of the goals was to make guys earn their pay. No more big paydays upfront," Watt told reporters in Denver, according to the Houston Chronicle. "When a team gives a contract after the third year, they're saying: "We think you've earned this.' And so, I don't know if (the Texans) feel that way or not. But I sure hope I've put in all the work and I've put in everything I can do to hopefully earn it."

Lockheed says object part of 'sensor technology' testing that ended ThursdayWhat the heck is that thing? It's fair to assume that question was on the minds of many people who traveled along Colo. 128 south of Boulder this week if they happened to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be a large, silver projectile perched alongside the highway and pointed north toward town.

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